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Saying Goodbye to “The Shore”

Caitlin Ferraro | Monday, January 25, 2010

Unfortunately last Thursday night, the fist pumping came to an end. MTV’s surprise hit “Jersey Shore” only had nine episodes, but it will leave an everlasting legacy on our generation. While some Italian-Americans may be horrified by the image of Guidos and Guidettes presented, this trashy reality show is really one big joke.The cast of course fails to represent all Italian Americans, but they never fail to bring laughter every week. What are we to do without The Situation and his self-absorbed, outrageous comments every week? The cast of characters range from the cocky Mike “The Situation” to the peanut sized, orange Nicole “Snooki”, to the tough Jenni “J-Woww” with the powerful left hook. Of course one would be remiss to forget DJ extraordinaire and perennial wingman Pauly D and the youngster of the group Vinny. And the group is rounded out by the constantly on and off again couple of Ronnie and Sammi “Sweetheart.” The nicknames alone demonstrate the genius of this show.The season has brought us many moments of hilarity and debauchery. Among the many fistfights, a grown man hit Snooki, J-Woww punched The Situation and Ronnie even spent the night in jail for fighting. There are so many other fond memories to look back on, like Pauly D’s stalker/Jewish love interest Danielle or Vinny and the rest of the gang’s infamous fist pumping. And of course an episode would not be complete without Ronnie and Sammi breaking up at least once.Remember that time The Situation put handfuls of pickles under Snooki’s bed? Or made a cheesy gross concoction to stink up Vinny’s room? Speaking of Vinny, how about when he stole the boss’ girl at the club? Or when he hooked up with The Situation’s sister? “Jersey Shore” has even had a profound influence on campus, with many themed parties in recent weeks. So what ingredients do you need to complete the perfect Shore party? All partygoers must have a horrible fake tan or at least some heavy-duty bronzer. The men require hair gel, plenty of preening prior to the party, and a visit to the gym beforehand. Homemade Italian food is always welcome, and pickles are necessary if any Snooki-inspired characters plan on attending. Extra touches might include a duck phone that quacks incessantly, or a Jersey accent. After all the time, we, the viewers, spent with our new crazy Italian family it was hard to part ways with them last week. However, the finale did not disappoint. We were left with the hilarious hot tub hook up of The Situation and Snooki, and the heartbreaking on-air break-up of Ronnie and Sammi on the reunion show. Is it wrong that we were sad to see their pairing end even after all of the ridiculous problems they have had? After fiascos like Sammi’s big Flintstone toe, Mike’s attempts to break them up or nights spent in jail you would think these two could make it.The show has spawned a phenomenon, with the cast making pricey appearances at nightclubs all over the U.S. They have also made their way all over the talk show route (during which Mike dubbed Conan O’Brien “The Solution”), and Snooki has even been immortalized on “Saturday Night Live.” While we wait for (hopefully) a second season, we can enjoy the “Shore’s” ridiculousness with endless MTV reruns.